Padding for pressing devices



Aug; 2, 1938. J. cRocKFQRa 2,125,603

PADDING FOB PRESSING DEVICES Filed May 16, 1936 INVENTOR Patented Aug. 2, 193e UNI-TED STATES PATENT OFFICE PADDING Foa PaEssxNG nEvrcEs I Joseph It. Crockford, New York, N. Y. Application May ,16, 193s, semi No. 30,039

Z Claima and resiliency without distortion or flow. Efforts' 1o have been made in the past to secure these desirable characteristics by the selection of numerous available materialsand substances such as various 'textile fabrics, cork, rubber of diiferent kinds and degrees of softness, and the like, and

for numerous reasons a fully satisfactory, lasting padding hasnot been produced.

Of the various materials heretofore utilized as a padding for laundry pressers, ironers and other like devices, sponge rubber has been tried with a small degree of success. Sponge rubber when used alone, Iwhile possessing certain desirable characteristics whichwould appear to have value.

as far as a padding of this kind is concerned, nevertheless possesses certain objectionable char- .acteristics in its makeup, which predominate and render sponge rubber padding quite .unsatisfactory, causing the trade to seek a material of greater durability, greater efficiency and of more lasting satisfaction. Sponge rubberwhen used alone is relatively non-absorbent; to possess any material degree of absorbency the skin or surfacing of sponge rubber must be removed thus greatly reducing the structural strength of the rubbermass and causing the leventual and inevitable breaking down of the cell structure, resulting in the compaction of the padding and causing a reduction in thicknessthereof, and thereby requiring an adjustment of pressure of the pressing rollers' or a re-building up of the padding. Also, 40 sponge rubber when not reinforced by its 'conventional skin orvsurfacillg, exhibits a tendency to distortionally shift or ow, thus causing rough drying or crows feet in the ironed article, and lparticularly in anA area surrounding a button or other'projection on the garment or other article.

In the accompanying drawing, Fig. 1 is a sec'- I tional view of a multi-roll iiat work ironer showing the rolls thereof covered with the improved padding; Fig. 2 is an enlarged end elevation, partly in section of one of the rolls of Fig. 1; Fig. 3

is an enlarged view of a'section of the padding;

and Fig. 4 is4 'a perspective view of the head and buck of a press.

The improved padding to which the invention relates is shown at 5 in Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive, and at 6 in Fig. 4. In the use shown in Figs. 1 to 3, it forms a central-layer, being located between an outer textile fabric covering or ply 8 and an inner fabric layer 1, on the roll 9. The padding 5 5 is composed of an elastic, yieldable -cellular ma-y terial provided with a fibrous, absorbent constituent. I prefer to make said layer of a mixture of sponge rubberorv other cellular types of rubber and long wool fibres. lIn such mixturethe rub- 1o ber predominates, there being approximately rubber in the mix and 35%` bre. It will of course be understood that these quantities are merely approximate and may be varied considerably without destroying the eiciency of the padding. It l5 will also be' understood that the fibres employed need not necessarily be wool fibres as various other fibrous materials, and particularly those. of absorbent characteristics can undoubtedly be used in the mixture to procure results entirely satis- 2o factory. 1 The layer of padding thus produced is provided with the conventional surfacing or skin l0 which adds strength and stability to the mixture. The

fibrous material incorporated in the padding 25` penetrates through this skin or surfacing so that absorbency is present at the very surface of the padding, such absorbency thereat being afforded by the highly absorbent brous material penetrating through the skin and extending throughout 30 the body of the padding. By the maintenance. of the skin surfacing on the rpadding, the structural strength thereof is obtained and there is less tendency for the padding to break down, or diminish in thickness and cause ineffective pressing. By 35 lightly abrading both faces of the padding, the amount of iibres exposed at these surfaces can be materially increased without removing any appreciable amount of the skiny or surfacing- Where increased absorbency is required, abrad- 40 ing' in the manner described is recommended.

The mixture produced, namely of sponge rubber and a fibrous material, produces a padding I possessing'a high degree of yieldability or resilil ency and at the same time one whose body does 45 notdistortionally shift or flow during the pressing operation, and particularly when projections such-as buttons' on a garment or the like pass between the pressing surfaces. This results in a very effective pressing or ironing action, par- 50 ticularly in the area of the article being ironed surrounding the button or projection thereon. l

The use of4 wool bres as part of the mixture in the padding produces a highly satisfactory degree of absorbency, the moisture thereby ab- V55 sor'bed being easily dissipated by the heat, so that the retention oi' excess moisture in the padding `does not occur. Starch in the articles being pressed or ironed will not adhere to wool bres and. this characteristic renders such fibres very satisfactory for the purpose herein described.

since the ilbrous material therein incorporated While Ihave specically stated herein that the ilbrous material which I'propose incorporating with sponge rubber shall be long wool fibres, it will be obvious that I do not limit myseli! to this precise mixture of sponge rubber and wool nbre.

might well be animal nbre, vegetable. mineral or synthetic iibres, having the desired resiliency and absorbent characteristics.

The padding thus described may be used for various ironing and pressing devices. In Fig. 1

the padding extends around the body o! the rolls,

more layers 8 of the padding material made as herein speciiled, the upper layer being preferably covered by textile covering or strip I4. The movable heated head I5 is pressed on to the garments or other articles to be pressed, the same being placed upon the padded buck during the pressing operation. The padding described may be used in various other pressing devices without departing from the spirit oi.' this invention.

What I claim is:

l. A padding for pressing and ironing devices comprising a sheet of sponge rubber in which is incorporated a quantity of wool bres, said sheet having its faces formed with the conventional "skin or surfacing, the wool bres penetrating said skin". f

2. A padding for `pressing and ironing devices comprising a sheet composed of sponge rubber with bres mixed therewith and extending in all directions throughout the body of the sheet, said sheet having abraded surfaces to expose the bres at saidsurtaces without materially removing an appreciable quantity of the "skin or surfacing on the sheet.

JOSEPH R. CROCKFORD. 

